太子瑞應本起經 2

English (machine translation) 2

Language: English

2.1

Translated by the Yuezhi Upāsaka Zhi Qian under the Wu

"Through the pure practices of repeated kalpas, the bodhisattva attained supreme gentleness and great compassion; his concentration in the Way was natural, and by the power of forbearance he subdued the demons, causing the ghost armies to scatter and retreat, while his concentrated mind remained as before. Untouched by discursive thought, without notions of sorrow or joy, during the first watch of that night he attained the first vidyā, knowing his own former lives, and all that his spirit had passed through during countless kalpas, continually receiving bodies beyond reckoning, he fully recognized and knew them all. When the second watch arrived, he attained the second vidyā, knowing all that was in the minds of living beings, their good and evil, misfortune and fortune, and the destinies to which they were bound in life and death. When the third watch arrived, he attained the third vidyā, the exhaustion of defilements and the untying of fetters, knowing his own past cultivation over a long period of the four bases of spiritual power: the concentration of energy, the concentration of desire, the concentration of mind, and the concentration of contemplation; he obtained the mastery of transformations. Whatever he wished occurred according to his intent without the need for further thought: his body could fly; he could divide his single body into a hundred, a thousand, or up to tens of millions, and merge them again into one; he could penetrate into the earth, passing through stone walls, appearing from one quarter, submerging and emerging as if in waves of water; he could emit water and fire from his body, walk upon water and through empty space without sinking or falling; he could sit and lie in the air like a bird in flight; standing, he could reach up to heaven, touching the sun and moon with his hands; if he wished to stand upright, he could reach the Brahmaloka at will; his eyes could see through everything, his ears could hear all sounds, and his mind foreknew all things; whether devas, humans, nāgas, ghosts, spirits, or crawling and wriggling creatures, their bodily actions, verbal expressions, and mental wishes were all seen, heard, and known by him. All those who possessed greed and lust and those who did not, those who possessed anger and those who did not, those who possessed delusion and those who did not, those who possessed sensual desire and those who did not, those who possessed great aspirations and practices and those who did not, those who possessed internal and external practices and those who did not, those who contemplated the good and those who did not, those who possessed single-mindedness and those who did not, and those who possessed the intention for liberation and those who did not—he knew them all thoroughly.

2.3

"The Bodhisattva clearly saw the five destinies (pañca-gati)—among the devas in heaven, among humans, in the hells, among animals, and among ghosts and spirits. He discerned one by one the parents, siblings, wives, and children of his former lives, their inner and outer lineages and names; the events of one lifetime, ten lifetimes, hundreds, thousands, myriads, koṭis, and countless lifetimes, up to the time when the universe, through an entire kalpa, collapsed into ruin and empty desolation, and when in a subsequent kalpa it first formed again and beings arose. He was able to know [all this] through ten kalpas, a hundred kalpas, up to thousands, myriads, koṭis, countless kalpas: the inner and outer lineages and names, their clothing and food, their pain and pleasure, the length of their lifespans, their dying here and being born there, their wandering from realm to realm. From the very beginning, all the bodies through which they had passed, their birth, growth, old age, and end, the beauty or ugliness of their form and complexion, their wisdom or folly, their pain and pleasure throughout all the three realms—all this he discerned and knew. He saw that the conscious spirits of people each followed their own deeds to be born into the five destinies: some falling into the hells, some falling among animals, some becoming ghosts and spirits, some being born in heaven, and some taking human form—some born into noble, wealthy, and joyful families, and some born into base, poor, and lowly families. He knew that all living beings are either blinded by the five aggregates—first, form; second, sensation; third, perception; fourth, mental formations; fifth, consciousness—or they indulge in the five sensory desires: the eye coveting forms, the ear coveting sounds, the nose coveting fragrances, the tongue coveting tastes, and the body coveting smooth sensations; they are led astray by lust and desire, or by wealth and beauty, longing for peace and joy. From this arise all roots of evil, and from evil comes suffering. If one can sever the habit of desire and not indulge the lustful mind even to the extent of a hair's breadth, and receive and practice the eightfold path, then all sufferings will be extinguished. It is just like having no firewood, and thus no fire. This is called the unconditioned path of transcending the world.

2.4

"The Bodhisattva knew of himself that he had already abandoned the roots of evil, was free of lust, anger, and delusion, that birth and death were already eliminated, and their seeds and roots already severed, leaving no residual sprouts or shoots; what was to be done had already been accomplished, and wisdom was already completely perfected. When the morning star appeared, he was vastly and completely enlightened, attained anuttara-samyak-saṃbodhi, and became a samyak-saṃbuddha. He attained the eighteen attributes of a Buddha, possessed the ten spiritual powers and the four grounds of self-confidence. The eighteen attributes of a Buddha are those held from attaining Buddhahood until Nirvāṇa: first, no falling away from the Path; second, no empty words; third, no loss of mindfulness; fourth, no mind that is not tranquil; fifth, no diverse perceptions; sixth, no lack of discernment; seventh, no diminution of aspiration; eighth, no diminution of vigor; ninth, no diminution of meditative absorption; tenth, no diminution of wisdom; eleventh, no diminution of liberation; twelfth, no diminution of the knowledge and vision of liberation; thirteenth, complete knowledge and vision of the affairs of past worlds; fourteenth, complete knowledge and vision of the affairs of future worlds; fifteenth, complete knowledge and vision of the affairs of the present world; sixteenth, observing the bodily actions of all beings and transforming them with primordial knowledge; seventeenth, observing the verbal actions of all beings and transforming them with primordial knowledge; eighteenth, observing the mental actions of all beings and transforming them with primordial knowledge. These are the eighteen unshared attributes of a Buddha.

2.5

"Regarding the ten spiritual powers: that the Buddha completely knows and sees the profound, subtle, hidden, and distant, what is possible and what is impossible, clearly and accurately as it truly is—this is the first power. That the Buddha completely and clearly knows the actions performed in the future, present, and past, the grounds of action, and the retributions received—this is the second power. That the Buddha completely discerns the diverse thoughts of gods, humans, and living beings—this is the third power. That the Buddha completely knows the various kinds of speech of living beings as well as the speech that transcends the world—this is the fourth power. That the Buddha completely and thoroughly knows the manifold and immeasurable dispositions of the world—this is the fifth power. That the Buddha can manifest dhyāna, liberation, and meditative practice to remove all distress and dispute—this is the sixth power. That the Buddha knows the bonds of desire, and knows that the essential method for unraveling those bonds lies in appropriate practice—this is the seventh power. That the Buddha's wisdom is like the ocean, his good words immeasurable, and he recalls all previous lifetimes experienced—this is the eighth power. That the Buddha's divine eye (divyacakṣus) is pure, seeing the death of beings, the realms where their spirits are born, and the good and evil, misfortune and fortune received in retribution according to their actions—this is the ninth power. That the Buddha's defilements are already exhausted, leaving no further bonds or attachments, his spirit true and his wisdom sagacious, knowing and verifying this for himself, mastering the practice of the Path, having done what could be done, with no remaining birth and death, his wisdom clear and accurate—these are the ten spiritual powers of a Buddha.

2.6

"Regarding the four grounds of self-confidence: The Buddha's divine wisdom is perfectly enlightened, and there is nothing he does not know; when the foolish and deluded say among themselves, 'The Buddha does not yet know everything,' even Brahmā and all the holy ones cannot dispute the Buddha's wisdom, and therefore he walks alone without fear—this is the first ground of self-confidence. The Buddha's defilements are already exhausted and he fully knows it; when the foolish and deluded say among themselves, 'The Buddha's defilements are not yet exhausted,' even Brahmā and all the holy ones cannot dispute the Buddha's resolve, and therefore he walks alone without fear—this is the second ground of self-confidence. The Buddha proclaims the sūtras and precepts for the world to recite and practice; when the foolish and deluded say among themselves, 'The Buddha's sūtras can be suppressed,' even Brahmā and all the holy ones cannot criticize or damage the Buddha's correct sūtras, and therefore he walks alone without fear—this is the third ground of self-confidence. The Buddha reveals the meaning of the Path, his words true and essential, able to deliver [beings] from suffering and distress; when the foolish and deluded say among themselves, 'The Buddha cannot deliver from suffering,' even Brahmā and all the holy ones cannot dispute the Buddha's correct Path, and therefore he walks everywhere without fear—this is the fourth ground of self-confidence.

2.7

"Having attained the concentrated mind, the Buddha knew and saw all things. Sitting, he thought to himself: 'This reality is subtle and marvelous, difficult to know and difficult to understand, exceedingly difficult to attain. High, it has nothing above it; vast, it cannot be bounded; abyssal, it has no bottom; deep, it cannot be fathomed; broad, it encompasses heaven and earth; fine, it enters where there is no space between. Formerly, in the time of Dīpaṃkara Buddha, he distinguished me to become a Buddha named Śākyamuni. Now it has indeed been attained. Sought with diligence and hardship through countless kalpas, it has only just now been attained. Recalling my previous lives, all that I practiced—kindness, filial piety, benevolence, righteousness, propriety, respect, sincerity, trustworthiness, rectitude, maintaining goodness, humbling the mind to learn from the sages, gentleness, purifying the mind, practicing the six perfections without limit: giving, keeping the precepts, patience, vigor, singleness of mind, and wisdom; cultivating the four immeasurables: loving-kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity; nurturing living beings as if looking upon infants; serving the Buddhas and accumulating immeasurable virtue; through repeated kalpas of diligent hardship, seeking no reward for its merit—now all this has naturally been attained.' Joyfully, he spoke for himself, saying:

2.8

"Now I have realized that the Buddha is supremely venerable,
having abandoned lust, pure and without defilements.
Able to guide all beings,
those who follow are sure to rejoice.
Ah, the reward of merit is delightful;
marvelous vows are all fulfilled.
Pitying the sick, I have attained supreme tranquility;
I shall depart for nirvāṇa."

2.9

"When the Buddha first attained the Path, he knew that having eaten little, his body was empty and light. He slowly arose and entered the water to bathe. When finished, as he wished to ascend the bank, a deity bent down a tree branch so that he could grasp it and climb out, and he returned beneath the tree. Five hundred green sparrows flew over, circled the Buddha three times, and departed. There was also the daughter of an elder who, when newly married, had made a vow that if she gave birth to a son, she would prepare gruel of a hundred flavors to sacrifice to the spirit of the mountain tree. Later, having given birth to a boy, she joyfully prepared the gruel and put it in a golden bowl. When the woman poured out the gruel, neither the pot nor the ladle was soiled. The woman revered it all the more, and together with several women went into the mountains. Seeing a fine tree from afar, she sent her maidservant ahead to sweep and clean it. When the maidservant arrived, she saw the Buddha, and not knowing what spirit he was, returned and reported to the woman, saying, 'There is a spirit sitting beneath the tree.' The woman had the maidservant carry the gruel of a hundred flavors upon her head and step forward, kneeling to offer the food together with the golden bowl. The Buddha said, 'Since you are capable of such good intention, you will surely receive merit in this present life and see the truth.' The women bowed from afar and withdrew. When the Buddha finished eating the gruel, he recalled that when the previous three Buddhas first attained the Path, they were all offered food of a hundred flavors together with golden bowls like this vessel, and these were now all at the abode of the nāga Mucilinda. The Buddha then threw the bowl into the water; it naturally flowed upstream for seven li and settled atop the previous three bowls, the four vessels stacking together and fitting one another as if one. The nāga king rejoiced, knowing that there was once again a Buddha.

2.10

"The Buddha remained in meditative absorption for seven days, unmoved and unwavering. The tree spirit thought, 'The Buddha has newly attained the Path and has sat comfortably for seven days, yet no one has offered him food. I should find someone to feed the Buddha.' Just then, five hundred merchants happened to pass by the side of the mountain; their carts and oxen stumbled and could not proceed. Among them were two leaders, one named Trapuṣa and the second named Bhallika. Frightened, they returned with the group to pray for blessings at the tree spirit. The spirit manifested a radiant form and said, 'In this world there is now a Buddha, here within the borders of the kingdom of Uruvilvā by the Nairañjanā River, and no one has offered him food yet. If you are fortunate enough to be the first to have good intention, you will surely obtain great merit.' Hearing the name of the Buddha, the merchants all rejoiced and said, 'The Buddha must be uniquely great and venerable, revered by the devas and spirits, no ordinary being.' They immediately mixed roasted barley flour with honey, went together beneath the tree, and bowed their heads to offer it to the Buddha.

2.11

"The Buddha reflected that when the Buddhas of the past out of compassion accepted people's alms, their custom was always to hold a bowl; it was not fitting to receive food with the hands like other practitioners of the Way. At that moment, the Four Heavenly Kings (Cāturmahārājika) from afar knew that the Buddha needed bowls. In the time it takes a person to bend or stretch an arm, they all arrived at Mount Aśna. In accordance with their wishes, four bowls naturally emerged from the stone, fragrant, pure, clean, and undefiled. Each of the Four Heavenly Kings took one bowl, and returning together, offered them to the Buddha: 'May you have compassion on the merchants, allowing them to gain great merit. Later there will be iron bowls that future disciples should use to eat.' The Buddha reflected that taking only one bowl would displease the other three, so he accepted all four bowls, stacked them in his left hand, pressed them with his right hand, and joined them into a single bowl, leaving the four rims visible. The Buddha accepted the roasted barley flour with honey and said to the merchants: 'You should take refuge in the Buddha, take refuge in the Dharma; in the future there will be a community of monks (bhikṣusaṃgha), in which you should proactively take refuge.' They immediately received the teaching and each took the threefold refuge. The Buddha arose, finished eating in another place, and pronounced an incantation and blessing for the merchants, saying: 'May the alms given today give strength and vigor to the one who eats; may the donor families in life after life obtain their wishes, attain beauty and strength, attain respect and joy, be peaceful, happy, and free of sickness, and preserve their lifespan to the end; may all evil and wicked ghosts not disturb or approach them; because of their good intentions, their foundation of virtue is firmly established; may all good ghosts and spirits constantly protect them; revealing the stages of the Path, may their gains be harmonious; may they not suffer adversity, and have no further distress or calamity. When people have right view, and with faith, joy, and reverence, purely and without regret make offerings to those possessed of the Way and virtue, their merit will become ever greater, their circumstances will become increasingly superior, and all will be auspicious and nothing unfavourable. May the sun, moon, five planets, twenty-eight lunar mansions, heavenly spirits, and ghost kings constantly follow and protect them; may the Four Great Heavenly Kings, who reward and distinguish good people—Dhṛtarāṣṭra in the east, Virūḍhaka in the south, Virūpākṣa in the west, and Vaiśravaṇa in the north—protect you from unforeseen misfortune. May you have wise resolve, diligently study and learn, revere the Buddha, Dharma, and Saṃgha, abandon all evils, and not be self-indulgent. Receiving auspiciousness in the present life, planting blessings and reaping blessings, practicing the Path and attaining the Path, because you have first seen the Buddha and single-mindedly served him, you shall from this attain the foremost blessing. Receiving protection in the present life, delightfully understanding and seeing the truth, with wealth, joy, and long life, you shall naturally attain nirvāṇa.'"

2.12

"At that time, the roasted barley flour and honey being cold, wind arose in the Buddha's belly. Śakra immediately knew of this, and at once arrived at the boundary of Jambudvīpa, fetched a medicinal fruit named harītakī, and came to address the Buddha, saying: 'This fruit is fragrant and sweet, fit to be taken, and supreme at dispelling internal wind.' The Buddha then ate it, and the wind was immediately dispelled. He arose and went to the waterside of the blind nāga Mucilinda, where he sat in meditative absorption for seven days, neither panting nor breathing; his light shone into the water, and the nāga's eyes opened, recognizing on its own that just as before, having seen the radiance of the three Buddhas, its eyes had immediately gained sight. The nāga king, rejoicing, bathed, and perfumed with renowned incense of sandalwood and storax, emerged from the water. Seeing the Buddha's marks, excellent signs, and radiant aura like a tree in bloom, it stepped forward and circled the Buddha seven times, its body forty li around the Buddha. The nāga had seven heads, which it spread out to cover the Buddha, wishing to shield him from mosquitoes, gnats, cold, and heat. It rained steadily for seven days, yet the nāga was single-minded, neither hungry nor thirsty. When the seven days of rain ceased, the Buddha emerged from meditation. The nāga transformed into a youthful practitioner of the Way wearing fine robes and ornaments, bowed its head, and inquired of the Buddha: 'Is the Buddha free from cold? Is he free from heat? Has he been free from harassment by mosquitoes and gnats?'"

2.13

"The Buddha then answered, saying:

2.14

"‘Long staying in a secluded place,
Contemplating the Way, how pleasant its blessing!
What I formerly vowed and wished to hear,
Now fully known, how pleasant!
Not being molested by others,
Being able to bring peace to sentient beings, how pleasant!
Transcending the world, the three poisons extinguished,
Attaining the Buddha's Nirvāṇa, how pleasant!
Being born into the world and beholding the Buddha,
Hearing and receiving the scriptural Dharma, how pleasant!
Meeting with pratyekabuddhas
And true persons, also how pleasant!
Not engaging with fools,
Being able to depart from evil people, how pleasant!
Possessing wisdom to discern the true from the false,
Knowing and having faith in the correct path, how pleasant!’

2.15

"The Buddha told the dragon king: ‘You should take refuge in the Buddha, take refuge in the Dharma, and take refuge in the saṅgha of monks.’ He thereupon received the three refuges. Among all animals, this dragon was the first to see the Buddha. By means of his spiritual powers, the Buddha moved to sit in a stone chamber. Reflecting on his original vow, he wished to liberate sentient beings, and contemplated: ‘Birth and death originally arise from the principle of the twelve links of dependent origination: because the conditions arise, there is birth and death; if the conditions cease, birth and death are exhausted. Doing this brings this result; not doing this, this ceases. For all sentient beings, the mind is the spirit, obscure and dark, imperceptible and formless; it conceives consciousness and ideation on its own, receiving a body in accordance with its actions. The body has no constant master; the spirit has no constant form. The spirit and mind transform, turbulent and turbid, difficult to clarify; spontaneously arising and spontaneously perishing, never resting for an instant. One thought departs, one thought arrives; like bubbles in water, as one drop perishes, another arises again. Reaching up through the three realms—desire, form, and formless—the stations where the nine spirits dwell are all bound to consciousness, unable to escape suffering. Benighted and imperceptive, they do not realize it themselves, hence it is called ignorance, and none know the essential path. Now, the Way is supremely subtle, vacant, tranquil, and free of thought; it cannot be known with the mind of the mundane world. There are ninety-six kinds of worldly arts and doctrines, each believing in what it serves—who knows their delusions? They all delight in life and seek security, crave desires and relish flavors, and are fond of sounds and forms; hence they cannot take delight in the Buddha's Way. The Buddha's Way is pure, empty, and devoid of anything. When one ordinarily reckons the body and the myriad things, they cannot be permanently held. If I were to explain it to them, showing that all under heaven is suffering, empty, and devoid of anything, who could believe it? It would only weary and exhaust me.’ Wishing to remain silent and not expound the Dharma for the world, he thereupon entered samādhi.

2.16

"The Buddha emitted a light from between his eyebrows, illuminating upward to the seven heavens. Brahmā knew that the Buddha wished to enter Nirvāṇa, and thought with sorrow: ‘The three realms will suffer long decline and ultimately never know the Dharma that transcends the world; upon dying, they will fall again into the three evil destinies, and when will they be liberated? Only after a long time does a Buddha appear in the world; a Buddha is as difficult to see as the udumbara flower. Now I must plead for the lives of gods and humans, imploring the Buddha to stay and preach the scriptures.’ He immediately told Śakra, and taking the heavenly musician Pañca[śikha], descended to the stone chamber. Just as the Buddha was awakening from samādhi, Pañca played the lute and sang. His words went:

2.17

"‘Listen to me sing of the Ten Powers,
Who abandoned the hindrances in tranquil dhyāna;
His light penetrates and illuminates the seven heavens,
His fragrant virtue surpasses sandalwood.
The High Gods, wondrous and divine, have come,
Praising and looking up, longing to behold the Honoured One;
Brahmā and Śakra bear reverent intentions,
Bowing their heads, wishing to receive and hear [the Dharma].
The vows and practices the Buddha originally undertook,
Diligent striving through a hundred kalpas of exertion;
The great giving of the four immeasurables,
Through which the ten directions received his vast grace.
Keeping the precepts purely without defilement,
Compassionate and gentle, protecting sentient beings;
Courageously entering the wisdom of dhyāna,
With great compassion unfolding the scriptures of deliverance.
Ascetic practices accumulated without count,
His merits and achievements are fulfilled today;
By the power of precepts, patience, concentration, and wisdom,
He shook the earth, and Māra is already subdued.
His virtue universally covers heaven and earth,
His spiritual wisdom surpasses the divine and sage;
His physical marks are extraordinarily peerless,
His eightfold voice shakes the ten directions.
His aspiration is higher than Mount Sumeru,
Pure and wondrous beyond description;
Forever free from lust, anger, and delusion,
He has no further affliction of old age and death.
Only pray, awakened from samādhi out of pity,
Pitying all gods and humans,
Open the treasury of the Dharma-jewel for their sake,
And bestow the rare treasure of amṛta.
Cause them to be freed from grief and fear,
So that in danger and distress they may find peace;
Let the deluded behold the correct path,
And the crooked and doubting see the true words.
All yearn and delight,
Desiring to hear and receive without satiety;
Pray open the deathless Dharma,
And bestow transformation for endless ages.’

2.18

"The Buddha understood completely in his mind and awoke from samādhi. Brahmā said to the Buddha: ‘Only after a long, long time has a Buddha been seen again. The gods leap with joy, wishing to hear the Buddha's Dharma. Pray expound the scriptures for the world, and do not enter parinirvāṇa. Sentient beings are foolish and dark, lacking the eye of wisdom; only pray bestow your compassionate guidance to let them attain liberation. Among gods and humans, many are worthy and good, fond of the Way and quick to understand; there are also those who are energetic and able to receive the precepts and Dharma. For the sake of those who dread hell and the three evil destinies, pray open the Dharma treasury and reveal amṛta to them; those who receive it will surely be many. When there was no Buddha in the world, I saw other practitioners of the Way who, fully possessed of the three poisons, fabricated scriptures according to their own minds. People still study their insincere teachings, how much more so the Buddha's purity, free from lust, anger, and delusion? Pray may the Buddha preach the Dharma and allow sentient beings to hear the path of utmost truth.’

2.19

"The Buddha said: ‘Well said, well said, Brahmā! You wish to broadly bestow peace, rescue all worlds, cherish and benefit, comfort and deliver, delighting in causing them to attain liberation. I consider that the world is attached to craving and fond of desires, falling into the suffering of birth and death, and few are able to realize on their own that it originally arises from the twelve links of dependent origination: ignorance conditions mental formations, mental formations condition consciousness, consciousness conditions name-and-form, name-and-form conditions the six sense bases, the six sense bases condition contact, contact conditions feeling, feeling conditions craving, craving conditions grasping, grasping conditions becoming, becoming conditions birth, and birth conditions old age, death, worry, sorrow, suffering, distress, and mental affliction. A great calamity is this existence: the spirit follows craving, repeatedly undergoing birth and death. One who wishes to attain the Way must cut off craving, eliminate passion and desire, be unconditioned and non-arising. Thus ignorance ceases; ignorance ceasing, mental formations cease; mental formations ceasing, consciousness ceases; consciousness ceasing, name-and-form ceases; name-and-form ceasing, the six sense bases cease; the six sense bases ceasing, contact ceases; contact ceasing, feeling ceases; feeling ceasing, craving ceases; craving ceasing, grasping ceases; grasping ceasing, becoming ceases; becoming ceasing, birth ceases; birth ceasing, old age, death, worry, sorrow, suffering, distress, mental affliction, and all great calamities come to an end. This is called attaining the Way. Only a Buddha awakens to this; it is subtle, wondrous, and difficult to comprehend. This purity is free from foolish ideations, and cannot be known with the minds of ordinary worldlings. Under heaven there are ninety-six kinds of arts and doctrines, each serving its own object: some serve heaven and earth, the sun, moon, and five planets; some serve water, fire, ghosts, spirits, and dragon gods. They all delight in life and seek security, crave desires and relish flavors, and are fond of sounds and forms; hence they cannot take delight in the Buddha's Way, do not hear the Buddha's scriptures, and do not know the essential Dharma. Ordinary people's minds are contrary: calculating the body and the myriad things, they think they can be permanently maintained. If I were to preach to them that what the eye sees and all the myriad things are impermanent, that having a body is entirely suffering, that the body is not the self, empty, and devoid of anything, and that relatives and family members are all not one's own—straightforward words sound like their opposite, so who could believe them? It would only be a weary toil for me. It is better to enter Nirvāṇa; for this reason, I intended not to speak.’

2.20

"Brahmā spoke again:

2.21

"‘Through countless kalpas, people have been in worldly birth and death;
Only the Buddha's scriptures are difficult to hear.
Since there is a Buddha in the world who can deliver to the utmost,
Now that the vow has been fulfilled, such a one is rare among humans.
Supreme and ultimate, no Buddha compares to you;
Therefore I bow my head in worship.
The world is bound in attachment, having long remained in darkness;
Now the Ten Powers have arisen, with spiritual wisdom boundless.
You should open the Dharma treasury and bestow the light of wisdom,
Illuminating all gods and humans to bring them understanding.
The Buddha can deliver all;
Therefore I resolve to take refuge.
From your initial resolve, you vowed to act for those in suffering;
With humble toil you accumulated virtue, and your vows are now fulfilled.
Ignorance, old age, and death bring long decline, truly lamentable;
You should bestow the medicine of the Dharma to heal all sickness and pain.
No compassion and pity surpasses the Buddha's;
Therefore I bow my head and make this request.’

2.22

"The Buddha, having consented to Brahmā, thought: ‘Who should be liberated first? Formerly, my father the king sent five men to attend me; now they are in the mountains.’ He thereupon returned along the path. Seeing the Buddha, the five men said among themselves: ‘When this man comes, take care not to rise for him.’ When the Buddha arrived, the five men all rose, unconsciously making prostrations. Then the Buddha said: ‘Why are your minds not steadfast? You just said not to rise, why do you make prostrations?’ The five men did not reply, but wished to become his disciples. The Buddha then stroked their heads with his hand, making them śramaṇas. They returned beneath the tree of the Way, each sitting in contemplation. The Buddha further reflected: ‘Here is Uruvilvā-Kāśyapa—greatly renowned, brave and robust, possessing a noble name, whom the king, ministers, and common people all revere together—living with five hundred disciples on the bank of the Nairañjanā River. I wish to first enlighten and awaken him, causing him to rejoice and faithfully delight in the Buddha's Dharma; then other people will follow and learn from him.’ He immediately went to him. Seeing the Buddha, Kāśyapa came forward to greet him, praising him: ‘How fortunate! Welcome, Great Man of the Way, coming to meet me. Have you been resting in peace and well-being?’ The Buddha replied: ‘Freedom from illness is the foremost gain; contentment is the foremost wealth; a good friend is the foremost intimacy; the unconditioned is the foremost ease.’

2.23

"Kāśyapa said: ‘What instruction or mission brings you here?’ The Buddha said: ‘I wish to announce a request; if you will not be angered, I trouble you to lend me your fire chamber for a single night.’ [Kāśyapa] said: ‘I do not begrudge it, but inside there is a venomous dragon, and I fear it will harm you.’ The Buddha said: ‘There is no trouble. The dragon will not harm me.’ He repeated the request up to three times. Kāśyapa said: ‘Very well. The Great Man of the Way is of lofty virtue; if you can dwell inside, that will be very good.’ The Buddha then bathed and went forward into the fire chamber, spreading grass upon the ground. Just after he sat down for a moment, the venomous dragon grew furious and emitted smoke from its body; the Buddha also displayed spiritual power, emitting smoke from his body. The dragon became enraged, and fire burst forth from its whole body; the Buddha also displayed spiritual power, his body emitting blazing light. The dragon's fire and the Buddha's light were then both blazing intensely; the stone chamber was completely on fire, its flames and smoke pouring out as if a conflagration had broken out. Kāśyapa arose at night to observe the stars, and seeing the fire chamber ablaze, sighed in distress, saying: ‘Alas! This śramaṇa is handsome and dignified, what a pity he did not follow my words, and ended up being harmed by the venomous fire!’ The Buddha, knowing his thoughts, used his spiritual power of the Way within the chamber to extinguish the dragon's venomous fury, subdued the dragon's body, transformed it, and placed it inside his alms bowl. In panic and haste, Kāśyapa ordered his five hundred disciples, each holding a pitcher of water, to run and throw it to extinguish the fire; but each pitcher only turned into another fire. Master and disciples became even more terrified, all saying: ‘Alas, alas! This great śramaṇa has been killed!’ The next morning, the Buddha walked out holding the bowl containing the dragon. Kāśyapa, surprised and delighted, asked: ‘Is the Great Man of the Way still alive? What is inside that vessel?’ The Buddha answered: ‘Indeed, I have survived on my own. What is inside this bowl can be called the venomous dragon that everyone feared and dared not enter the chamber for. Now I have subdued it, and it has already received the precepts.’ Kāśyapa, considering himself to have attained the Way, thought the Buddha was not genuine, and turned to say to his disciples: ‘This great śramaṇa is extremely miraculous; even so, he has not yet attained the Way, and is not equal to my attainment of arhatship!’

2.24

"The Buddha again moved closer to Kāśyapa, sitting beneath a tree. In the first part of the night, the Four Heavenly Kings all descended to listen to the Buddha preach the scriptures. The light and radiance of the four kings were as bright as a blazing fire. Kāśyapa arose at night to make astrological observations, and saw four fires beside the Buddha. The next morning he went to ask: ‘Does the Great Man of the Way also serve fire?’ The Buddha said: ‘I do not serve fire.’ He asked: ‘Last night there were four fires here, why was that?’ The Buddha said: ‘Last night the Four Heavenly Kings came down to listen to the scriptures; it was their light.’ Kāśyapa thought to himself: ‘This great śramaṇa is extremely miraculous. Even so, he has still not attained the Way, and hence is not equal to my attainment of arhatship!’

2.25

"On the second day the Buddha stayed beneath the tree, Śakra came down again at night to hear the Buddha preach the scripture. Śakra's radiance and aura were even vastly brighter. Kāśyapa arose at night to observe the signs, and saw by the Buddha's side a fiery light twice as bright as the four fires of the night before. He thought to himself: 'This great śramaṇa must also be performing fire sacrifices.' The next morning he went again and asked: 'Is the Great Man of the Way perhaps performing fire sacrifices?' The Buddha said: 'No. Yesterday Śakra came down to hear the scripture; it was merely his light.' Kāśyapa thought: 'This great śramaṇa is indeed spiritually wondrous. Even so, he has not attained the Way, and is not equal to me, who have attained the status of an arhat!'

2.26

"On a later night, the seventh Brahmaloka also came down to hear the scripture. Brahmā's radiance and aura were twice that of Śakra. Kāśyapa arose at night to observe the signs, and saw the fiery light growing ever more brilliant and splendid. The next day he asked: 'Does the Great Man of the Way perform fire sacrifices?' [The Buddha] replied: 'I do not perform fire sacrifices!' [Kāśyapa asked:] 'Why was the fiery light so much brighter and greater last night?'

2.27

"The Buddha said: 'Last night Brahmā came down to hear the scripture; it was merely his light.' Kāśyapa thought again: 'This great śramaṇa is certainly spiritual, yet he has not attained the Way, and is not equal to me, who have attained the status of an arhat!'

2.28

"Kāśyapa's five hundred disciples each tended three fires, making fifteen hundred fires in all. The next morning, when they went to kindle them, the fires would not light at all. Bewildered, they reported this to their master. Their master said: 'I suspect this was done by that great śramaṇa.' He immediately went and asked the Buddha: 'My five hundred disciples tend fifteen hundred fires in all, yet when they kindled them this morning, none of the fires would light. Was this done by the Great Man of the Way?' The Buddha said: 'Do you wish for the fires to burn, or not?' He asked him this three times. [Kāśyapa] replied: 'I wish for them to burn.' The Buddha said: 'You may go; the fires will burn.' At his words, they all burst into flame. Kāśyapa thought again: 'This great śramaṇa is certainly spiritual, yet he has not attained the Way, and is not equal to me, who have already attained the status of an arhat!'

2.29

"Kāśyapa himself tended three fires, and when he kindled them the next morning, they too could not be lit. He thought to himself: 'This has again been done by that great śramaṇa.' He immediately went and asked the Buddha: 'I tend three fires myself, yet when I kindled them this morning, they could not be lit at all. Was this again done by the Great Man of the Way?'

2.30

"The Buddha said: 'Do you wish for the fires to burn, or not?' He asked him this three times. [Kāśyapa] replied: 'I wish for them to burn.' The Buddha said: 'You may go; the fires will burn.' At his words, they all burst into flame. Kāśyapa thought again: 'This great śramaṇa is certainly spiritual, yet he has not attained the Way, and is not equal to me, who have already attained the status of an arhat!'

2.31

"After the fires were burning, Kāśyapa wished to extinguish them, but they could not be extinguished. The five hundred disciples and all those who tended fires joined together to help extinguish them, yet they would not be quenched at all. They all said: 'This was done by the great śramaṇa.'

2.32

"Kāśyapa went and asked the Buddha: 'The fires are now burning, but now they cannot be extinguished?' The Buddha said: 'Do you wish to extinguish them?' [Kāśyapa] replied: 'I wish to extinguish them.' The Buddha said: 'You may go; the fires will be extinguished.' At his words, they were immediately extinguished. Kāśyapa still thought: 'Although this great śramaṇa is spiritual, he is not equal to me, whose attainment of the Way is real!'

2.33

"Kāśyapa went and said to the Buddha: 'I pray that the Great Man of the Way will remain here and not journey far away; I myself shall supply you with food.' He immediately returned and instructed his household to prepare fine food the next day and set out a couch and seat. When it was time for the meal, he went himself to invite the Buddha. The Buddha said: 'Go ahead, and I shall follow shortly.' Just as Kāśyapa departed, in the time it takes a man to bend and extend his arm, the Buddha went east several thousand billions of leagues to the borders of Pūrvavideha, gathered the fruit of a tree called jambū, filled his bowl with it, and returned. Before Kāśyapa arrived, the Buddha was already seated upon his couch. When Kāśyapa arrived afterward, he asked: 'By what road did the Great Man of the Way come?' The Buddha said: 'Just as you departed, I went east to the land of Pūrvavideha and gathered jambū fruit, which is fragrant, delicious, and edible.' [Kāśyapa] then took it and ate it. Having eaten his meal, the Buddha departed. Kāśyapa still thought: 'Although this great śramaṇa is spiritual, he is not equal to my Way, which is real!'

2.34

"The next day at mealtime, Kāśyapa invited the Buddha again. The Buddha said: 'Go ahead, and I shall follow shortly.' Just as Kāśyapa departed, the Buddha went south tens of millions of leagues to the far border of Jambudvīpa, gathered harītakī fruit, filled his bowl with it, and returned. Before Kāśyapa returned, the Buddha was already seated upon his couch. When Kāśyapa arrived, he asked: 'How is it that you have arrived first?' The Buddha said: 'Just as you departed, I immediately went south to the far border of this land and gathered harītakī fruit, which is also fragrant and delicious.' [Kāśyapa] then took it and ate it. Having eaten his meal, the Buddha departed. Kāśyapa still thought: 'Although this great śramaṇa is spiritual, he is not equal to my Way, which is real!'

2.35

"The next day, Kāśyapa went again to invite the Buddha. The Buddha said: 'Go ahead, and I shall follow shortly.' Just as Kāśyapa departed, the Buddha went west several thousand billions of leagues to the borders of Aparagodānīya, gathered āmalaka fruit, filled his bowl with it, and returned; arriving before Kāśyapa, he sat upon his couch. When Kāśyapa arrived afterward, he asked the Great Man of the Way: 'From where have you come?' The Buddha said: 'After you just departed, I went west to the land of Aparagodānīya and gathered āmalaka fruit, which is fragrant, delicious, and edible.' [Kāśyapa] then took it and ate it. Having eaten his meal, the Buddha departed. Kāśyapa thought again: 'Although this great śramaṇa is spiritual, he is still not equal to my Way, which is real!'

2.36

"The next day, Kāśyapa invited the Buddha again. The Buddha said: 'Go ahead, and I shall follow shortly.' Kāśyapa looked back, and suddenly the Buddha was nowhere to be seen. By means of his spiritual powers, the Buddha went north several thousand billions of leagues to the borders of Uttarakuru, gathered naturally grown non-glutinous rice, filled his bowl, and returned; arriving before Kāśyapa, he sat upon his couch. When Kāśyapa arrived afterward, he asked: 'From where has the Great Man of the Way come again?' The Buddha said: 'From the northern land of Uttarakuru, I gathered this ripened non-glutinous rice, delightful, delicious, and fragrant; you may try eating it.' Having eaten his meal, the Buddha departed. Kāśyapa thought again: 'Although this great śramaṇa is spiritual, he is still not equal to my Way, which is real!'

2.37

"The next day at mealtime, the Buddha took his bowl, went himself to Kāśyapa's house, received food, and returned. Having eaten in a secluded place, he wished to wash and rinse. Śakra, knowing the Buddha's intention, immediately descended and pointed with his finger at the ground; water welled forth to form a pond so that the Buddha might use it. In the late afternoon, as Kāśyapa was wandering about his settlement, he saw that there was spring water. Puzzled, he asked the Buddha: 'How has this come to be here?' The Buddha said: 'This morning I received your food, and having eaten it here, I wished to wash and rinse. Śakra pointed at the ground, causing water to emerge; you should name this the Finger-Pointed Pond.' Kāśyapa thought again: 'Although this great śramaṇa is spiritual, he is still not equal to my Way, which is real!'

2.38

"When the Buddha returned beneath the tree, he saw along the road a discarded, worn-out robe, and took it, wishing to wash it. Śakra, knowing the Buddha's intention, immediately went to Mount *Ana, took a square, smoothly finished fine stone, brought it, placed it beside the pond, and said to the Buddha: 'This may be used for washing the robe.' When the Buddha wished to dry the robe, Śakra went again, fetched a six-sided stone, and supplied it for drying the robe.

2.39

"Seeing two fine stones beside the pond, Kāśyapa asked again: 'How have these come to be here?' The Buddha said: 'I wished to wash and dry my robe, and Śakra went to Mount *Ana and brought these stones.' Kāśyapa thought again: 'Although this great śramaṇa is spiritual, he is still not equal to my Way, which is real!'

2.40

"On a later day, when the Buddha had finished bathing in the Finger-Pointed Pond, he wished to climb out, but had nothing to grasp. Beside the pond there had always been a tree called *kaha, which was exceptionally large, tall, and fine; that tree naturally bent down toward the Buddha, and the Buddha climbed out by grasping it. Seeing the tree bent down and casting its shade, Kāśyapa was puzzled and asked again. The Buddha said: 'I entered the pond to bathe, and had nothing to grasp to climb out; therefore the tree deity bent it down for me.' Kāśyapa thought again: 'Although this great śramaṇa is spiritual, he is still not equal to my Way, which is real!'

2.41

"At that time, the king of the country of Magadha, along with his officials and people, came on the occasion of an annual festival to pay homage to Kāśyapa, and they made merry together for seven days. Kāśyapa thought: 'The Buddha is spiritually wondrous and discerning; if the multitude sees him, they will surely all abandon me and serve him together. It would be delightful if he were to leave for seven days.' Knowing his thoughts, the Buddha concealed himself for seven days. On a later day Kāśyapa thought again: 'Just now I have an abundance of leftover food from the festival; how delightful it would be if the great śramaṇa were to come so I could feed him!' Knowing this from afar, the Buddha arrived immediately. Kāśyapa said with joy: 'How wonderful it is that the Great Man of the Way has come! I was just wishing to make offerings to you. Why did you not appear during these past seven days?' The Buddha said: 'Just recently the king and his officials and people gathered for seven days, and in your mind you thought: "This great śramaṇa is spiritually wondrous and discerning; if the multitude sees him, they will surely all abandon me and serve him together. It would be delightful if he were to leave for seven days." That is why I left. Now that you were thinking of me, I have come again.' Kāśyapa thought to himself: 'This great śramaṇa actually knows the minds of others. Even so, he is still not equal to my Way, which is real!'

2.42

"At that time, Kāśyapa's five hundred disciples were just then splitting firewood together. Each raised an axe, but none of the axes could be brought down. In great alarm, they reported this to their master. Their master said: 'This was done by that great śramaṇa.' He immediately went and asked the Buddha: 'My disciples were just now splitting firewood together, and all their axes were raised and could not be brought down.' The Buddha said: 'You may go; the axes will come down.' The axes immediately came down. After coming down, the axes all stuck fast in the firewood, and when they tried to lift them, they could not be lifted. He went again and reported to the Buddha: 'Now that the axes have just come down, they cannot be lifted again.' The Buddha said: 'You may go; I shall now cause the axes to be lifted.' They were immediately lifted and could be used. Kāśyapa thought again: 'Although this great śramaṇa is spiritual, he is still not equal to my Way, which is real!'

2.43

"At that time, the waters of the Nairañjanā were flowing broad and swift. By means of his natural supernatural powers, the Buddha blocked the waters and made them stop, causing them to part and rise up higher than a person's head, and raising dust from the riverbed as the Buddha walked within it. Fearing that the Buddha had been swept away by the waters, Kāśyapa took a boat together with his disciples to search for the Buddha. Kāśyapa saw the waters partitioned off and dust rising in the middle, with the Buddha walking among it. Kāśyapa called out, saying: 'Is the Great Man of the Way still alive?' The Buddha said: 'Indeed, I am alive.' He further asked the Buddha: 'Do you wish to board the boat, or not?' The Buddha said: 'Very well.' The Buddha thought: 'I should now display a supernatural feat to subdue this man's mind.' He immediately entered from within the water, penetrating through the bottom of the boat without leaving any trace of a hole. Kāśyapa thought again: 'This great śramaṇa is certainly spiritual, yet he is not equal to me, who have already attained the status of an arhat!'

2.44

"The Buddha said to Kāśyapa: 'You are not an arhat, nor do you know the truth of the Way. Why do you falsely claim nobility for yourself?' Thereupon Kāśyapa's heart was struck with terror and his hair stood on end. Knowing himself to lack the Way, he immediately bowed his head and said: 'The Great Man of the Way is truly divine and holy, so to know my thoughts! Might I receive the sūtras and precepts from the Great Man of the Way and become a śramaṇa?' The Buddha said: 'Go back first and inform your disciples; to inform them would be best. You are a great elder whom the entire kingdom looks up to and honors. If you now wish to study the Great Way, can you decide it on your own?' Kāśyapa received the instruction, returned, and announced to his disciples: 'Do you know? What my eyes have seen has now made my mind believe and understand. I shall shave my beard and hair, put on the dharma robe, receive the Buddha's precepts, and become a śramaṇa. What path do you wish to take?' The five hundred disciples said: 'All that we know is by our great master's kindness. What our master honors and believes must not be false. We wish to follow you and all become śramaṇas.' Thereupon master and disciples took off their garments of fur and coarse cloth, gathered their water jars, staffs, sandals, and all their implements for fire sacrifice, and cast them all into the water. Together they went to the Buddha, bowed their heads, and addressed the Buddha, saying: 'Now my five hundred disciples also have minds of faith, wishing to leave home, shave beard and hair, and receive the Buddha's precepts.' The Buddha said: 'It is granted! Come, śramaṇas.' The beard and hair of Kāśyapa and the five hundred disciples fell off of themselves, and they all became śramaṇas.

First 44 of 49 passages. Read on

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太子瑞應本起經 — Classical Chinese